I had the opportunity to be on a panel hosted by the Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries, talking about how we can help our brothers and sisters in Christ find healing from unwanted sexual behavior and trauma. Barna also shared new research about Christians and pornography use.

Christianity Report says:

Majority of Christians Struggle with Pornography, Study Reveals

A new study reveals a troubling trend among practicing Christians, with a majority admitting to viewing pornography. The Barna report, Beyond the Porn Phenomenon, conducted with Pure Desire Ministries, shows that 54% of Christians consume pornography, compared to 68% of non-Christians. Alarmingly, 75% of Christian men and 40% of Christian women engage with porn at some level.

Despite the clear biblical teachings against lust, many Christians have grown comfortable with their habit, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current church approaches. Pure Desire's Nick Stumbo expressed concern over the growing cultural shift, which has only worsened the church's battle against pornography.

What's more disconcerting is the sense of isolation among believers; 82% of Christians struggling with porn reported that no one is helping them. Churches are urged to address this issue head-on by partnering with experts, prioritizing education, and creating safe spaces for openness and healing. By doing so, they can provide hope and support to those facing this pervasive issue. 

Countless believers are in bondage to pornography, and many feel hopeless about being able to overcome it. We’re in a battle—big time—and we need a strategy to have victory in this area of sexual temptation. This is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12), but as children of God, we are equipped to win it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Here are the questions I answered at the panel:

• Why Are Christians Susceptible to Struggling with Sexual Purity?
• What Are Some Pit Falls That Accountability Groups for Sexual Purity Should Watch out for? 
• How Does the Gospel Give Us Hope for Change in the Area of Sexual Purity?
• How Can Transparency from Church Leadership Encourage Others Who Need Help?

You can click each question to watch just that video clip, or watch the answers to all four questions in this one video:

Here are some further resources:

• Chapters 5 and 6 from my book The Purity Principle are available on our site.
• Years ago I wrote about carefully counting the cost of sexual immorality as a motivation to avoid it.
• This is the first of three short articles focused on overcoming addition to pornography, and here’s one about Overcoming Temptation by Looking Past It—and Looking Up.
• Here’s an article from Jon Bloom on How to Resist Temptation’s Mirage Moment.
• Finally, my booklet Sexual Temptation: Establishing Guardrails and Winning the Battle contains clear, preventive guidelines we can follow to avoid immorality. It’s available from our ministry as a free download, and includes two appendices: "A Message to and about Pastors and Christian Leaders" and "The Perils of Internet Pornography."